Martinsburg independent. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1875-1900, 1887-12-17
PRESIDENTS MESSAGE.
Condensed.

/ nv thSOtN w OaA 10
that every citizen shall retain the
full fruits of his industry, with only
such deduction as may be his share
of the expenses of government Geo.
nomically administered. 1t is mex
cusable extortion and culpabls be
trayal of American fairness to take
from a citizen any part of his earn
ings except for support of govern
ment. The present laws do take from
the people large proportion of their
earnings, which earnings are placed
! in the U. S. Treasury to be boarded
and kept idle because the govern
ment has no use for them. Unless q
remedy be applied the surplus rev.
enue thus accumulated will amount
to $4,000, 1000 by next June, which
sum added to previous accumulations
will swell the surplus in the Treas
ury TO $40, 100000.
The Federal revenue comes from
a tariff tax on foreign goods and from
a tax on the consumption of tobacco
and liquor. This latter, the intern
al revenue tax, is not levied on any of
the things that strictly speaking are
necessaries; there appears no just
complaint ofthis taxation by the con-
sumers of tobacco and liquor, and
there seems TO be nothing so we'll
able to bear taxation without hard
ship.
But the present tariff laws ought
to be amended at once. Many Of
these foreign articles are also manu-
featured in our own country, and the
tax now levied on foreign articles is
called protection to home manufac-
turers, because such taxes enable
our home manufacturers to sell their
products for price equal to that de
manded for foreign products which
have paid the tariff tax. Hence, while
comparatively few persons use i'm
ported articles, millions of our pee-
pie purchase and use things of the
same kind made in this country and
pay for them nearly or quite the
same enhanced price which the tariff
tax adds to the imported articles.
Those who buy imported articles pay
the tariff into the Treasury, but
those who buy domestic articles
which are protected, pay sum ap-
proximately equal to the tariff tax
to the homo manufacturer.
1t is said that protection is neces-
sary in order to increase the price Of
domestic manufactures so that high
er wages may be paid to workingmen
than are paid to what is called the
pauper labor of Europe. The last
census shows thas of the 17,392,099
of our people engaged in all kinds of
industries, only 2,623,089 persons are
employed in such industries as are
claimed TO be benefited by tariff
for protection. 1t may well be said
that the minority should forego its
advantage so as to give the majority
the benefit of low prices. In reduc-
ing the tariff tax every precaution
should be used to avoid reducing the
wages Of those employed in the pro-
tected industries. But it requires
very little reflection to understand
that the workingmen employed by
manufacturers are consumers along
with the rest of the community they
too have their own families to be
supported out Of their earnings. and
! the price of the necessaries of life as
well as the amount of their wages
will regulate the measure Of their
welfare and comfort.
A reduction OF the tariff should be
so devised as not to necessitate either
! the loss of employment by the work
inemen or the lessening of his wages.
The profits still remaining to the
manufacturers, after necessary re-
duction, should furnish no excuse for
the sacrifice of the interests of his
employees in their opportunities to
work or in the diminution Of their
wages.
The benefciaries protection ask
the farmer to aid in maintaining the
present situation.
When the number of farmers en-
gagged in wool raising is compared
with the number not raising sheep;
when the number Of sheep owners is
compared with the number OF per
sons in other employments when it
is made apparent that, in the case Of
large part of those who own sheep,
the benefit of the present tariff on
wool is illusory; ana above all when
it must be conceded that the in
crease in the cost ofliving caused by
such tariff becomes burden upon
those of moderate means, the en-